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Libraries hire media specialist to assist students

March 23, 2012

Libraries hire media specialist to assist students

Trace Brown wants to help Penn State students learn how to treat digital media as bona fide scholarly sources -- adding digital items to research projects with the same weight as traditional print sources, including bibliographic citations. His new position in the Knowledge Commons in Pattee Library will give him the opportunity to explore best practices to achieve this goal. Recently appointed the learning media specialist, Brown will work closely with Ryan Wetzel and other Media Commons consultants to provide students assistance on multimedia projects and use of the practice presentation rooms. According to Joe Fennewald, head of the Tombros and McWhirter Knowledge Commons, "Brown will also provide workshops and classes on media technology."

Brown is a familiar face in the Libraries, having served as the Media Commons consultant in Pattee Library from 2008-11. In his new position, Brown will be available to help students, 1 to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, with the hours changing during holidays, breaks and the summer. To contact Brown, phone: 814-863-7537 or email: teb15@psu.edu

Brown has an undergraduate degree in film and video from Penn State. He was the chief audio engineer, from 1993–2001, at Filmspace, Inc., renamed Resource Communication in 1999. In 2001, he co-founded an Emmy nominated multimedia production company -- Blackbird Media Group, Inc. His portfolio includes work as an audio-post mixer for PBS documentary “The Marines,” produced by WNED Buffalo; “The Once and Future Newark,” produced by the New Jersey Network, a PBS affiliate; as well as a number of independent feature films. Additional details can be seen at http://tracebrown.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/blackbird-media-group-nominated-for-emmy/